We all understand how it feels when we come home from a long day and the dishwasher doesn’t work. It’s simple things like this that can complicate our lives. If you’re wondering why your dishwasher isn’t cleaning dishes, don’t worry, you’re not alone. A lot of people feel frustrated when their dishwashers don’t work properly. Not only should a dishwasher sanitize and is leaving residue on your dishes, but it should also clear them of all the food, right?

Appliances were created to make life easier, especially when we talk about dishes. Dishwashers are supposed to save us time from having to hand wash every single dish. Thus, when we end up having to use the dishwasher and scrub it by hand, we end up feeling defeated.

Dishwasher Troubleshooting Tips

When your dishwasher does not clean dishes well, you can try cleaning the machine. This may help the problem. After that, do regular maintenance to keep your dishwasher running. However, sometimes dirty components are not the reason why your dishwasher does not work well. Here are some of the most common causes:

The Interior Is Dirty – If your dishwasher is filled with old food, grease and soap scum, it won’t work properly. You can easily fix this problem by running a cycle with white vinegar. Pour three cups of white vinegar at the bottom of your dishwasher and run a full cycle. This will also remove any funky smells coming from your dishwasher.
Extra Dirty Dishes – You shouldn’t have to scrub your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but you should give them a good rinse. If there is ketchup or noodles left on the dishes, the dishwasher might not be able to clean them. This also might be why your dishwasher isn’t cleaning the dishes as well as you want it to.
Make Sure The Water Is Running – If you find that your dishes are coming out dirty and dry, it may be because your dishwasher is not getting enough water. To check this, place an empty cup on both the bottom and top racks of the dishwasher, facing up. If, at the end of the cycle, the cups are full of water, then you know that there is enough water getting to the dishwasher. But if the cups are not full of water, then you will need to contact a professional for help.